


Lost In Time

by IceFoxed



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien's a sad boi, Adult Themes, Aged up characters, Angst, Cannon diversion, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Likes Knives to the heart, Lots of Crying, Possible smut, Sorry Not Sorry, Trans Characters, cute dates, non binary characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 18:47:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690295
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IceFoxed/pseuds/IceFoxed
Summary: In a time of dire need, Marinette makes a choice that takes her memories along with it. With her memories gone Marinette must slowly learn everything all over again, along with the help of her best friends.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe
Comments: 11
Kudos: 32





	1. The Beginning of the End

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to my first fanfiction in a while! It's been years since I've written by myself and honestly, it feels weird. I'm in the market for a beta reader if any of you are interested, feel free to send me a PM! The first chapter is short but I guarantee more fun lies ahead.

It had been a tough day for everyone. Even after Hawkmoth had gone dormant there was still a need for Paris’ finest heroes. First it was Hawkmoth, then Queen Bee, and so on and so forth. No matter how old they got Ladybug and Chat Noir were still needed. 

A time or two ago Ladybug and Chat Noir had mutually decided that they needed to know who each other were, especially since Ladybug had inherited the title of the guardian. It was key for the guardian to know who had the miraculous in case of emergencies. Needless to say, that particular revelation had led to a few more relationship advances than either was expecting. 

Back to the day at hand Chat Noir and Ladybug were currently in the throes of a fight with a villain who had named himself The Divider. Hawkmoth, though dormant for a few years, had recently resurfaced once again. Today it was the usual suspects involved in the fight. Ladybug and Chat Noir along with Carapace and Rena Rouge. The four of them had become a tight-knit team, with secret identities and all. Nothing could break up a group as good as this, especially not saving Paris on a regular basis. 

“Watch out!” Rena warned, bending skillfully out of the way of the flying sheet coming her way. The villain, much stronger than the ones they dealt with as children, was apparently furious about being separated from someone close to him. Chat yelped as another large divider shot just past his nose, the breeze wafting across his face.

“If I can’t have her, no one can!” The creature screeched, summoning more dividers from nowhere. By now an elaborate maze had been set up, causing all sorts of problems. Chat couldn’t see his favorite spotted hero through all these dividers. 

“Ladybug!” He called out, trying to search for his beloved amongst the chaos. A loud boom erupted from somewhere behind him, causing Chat to whip around. The faint cry of his lady echoed off the buildings in a haunting melody.

“Ladybug!” Chat cried, even more worried as he picked up the pace. Skidding around a left corner he headed for the source of the noise, clambering up the steep walls of the divide. Finally reaching the apex he spotted the villain, atop his own floating barricade, aiming directly at a clearing. Scanning over, Chat spotted a familiar red splotch in the clearing.   
  
“Carapace!” He called out in desperation, knowing that his lady was cornered. One of the only ways she would be able to escape was the shelter Carapace provided. 

“On it Catdude!” Came a call from behind him, before a green blob soared overhead. “Shelter!” Carapace cried out, his shield coming up just before the barrier hit. The wood shattered satisfyingly into thousands of splinters, causing Divider to screech in anger.   
  
“You can’t hide forever Ladybug!” He screamed, tugging more dividers from behind his back. One after the other slabs went flying towards Ladybug. The spotted heroine glanced up at Chat, sending chills down his spine. Her gaze always did that to him.

“Go for the slab under him!” Ladybug called out. Nodding, Chat flexed his claws, getting ready for the pounce. All he had to do was wait… almost… NOW!

“Cataclysm!”   
  
Chat launched himself off the top of the divider, paw stretched out towards his board. Chat’s claws grazed the edge, gouging the thick wood. The material was quick to rot away, dissolving into dust. A small blue butterfly puffed out of the air where Divider had once been, dissolving his transformation and leaving a sheepish looking teenager behind.

“Time to de evilize!” The call came from behind him. Chat stood up just in time to see his lady sweeping the akuma into her yoyo, releasing a beautiful white butterfly, as she had done for years.   
  
“Miraculous Ladybug!” She shouted, tossing a previously used cushion into the air. Chat hadn’t noticed due to the dividers but her getting hit was all part of the plan. Grinning, Chat wandered over to his lady.

“I should have known you’d have a plan.” He mentioned, wrapping his arm around her waist. 

Ladybug laughed and poked his nose. “You never learn Kitty. I always have a plan. You need to stop fretting so much.” She chided. 

“Is it bad for me to worry about my fiance?” 

“Not necessarily, but I can handle myself. I am a hero after all.”

“Eugh.” Rena Rouge spat out her tongue. “Save the sappy for the bedroom man. It’s gross.”

Ladybug laughed. “Oh please, like I haven’t spent years listening to you and Carapace argue like an old married couple. Cut us some slack.”

“Yeah well bickering is much different than flirting. You’re practically drooling dude.” Carapace chimed, motioning for Chat to wipe his lips. Confused Chat let go of his lady, wiping at the nonexistent drool. 

“Oh whatever.” Ladybug sighed, “The point is we defeated the akuma and Paris is safe, again.”

“Yeah, until Hawkmoth comes back, again. His blue butterflies are way more dangerous than the old purple ones. That’s the Peacock right?” Alya questioned, tugging on her skin tight trenchcoat. 

“Yes, at the least that’s the theory.” Ladybug stated, stretching her arms up. “We don’t really know for sure but those are the only miraculous that aren’t in the box, so I would suppose so. Hawkmoth had access to the grimoire for much longer than we have, he must have had time to unlock its secrets.” She sighed. “Well, let’s leave the heavy thoughts for another day, I’m tired.” She mentioned, turning her back to Rena and Carapace. “My shoulders ache from all this rope swinging.”  
  
“I’ll make sure to massage them when we get home.” Chat cooed lovingly, nuzzling into Ladybug’s cheek. Alya groaned behind them, rolling her eyes.   
  
“Well, whatever lovebugs. We’re still on for lunch tomorrow, right Ladybug?” Rena asked, preparing to head off towards her own apartment. 

Ladybug turned around and nodded. “12 sharp. See you then!” With a grin Ladybug waved off the other happy couple, watching them sail into the sunset happily together. Turning to Chat Ladybug gestured behind her with her thumb.  
  
“I’m going to make sure our poor akumatized soul is alright. Go ahead of me, I’ll be right behind you.” She promised. Chat, hesitant about leaving his lady behind, gave a mournful look to his partner.   
  
“Oh relax.” She reassured him, patting his shoulder. “I won’t be long.”

With reluctance Chat gave his lady one last kiss on the cheek before sailing towards their house. He mentally decided that he’d have dinner waiting for her when she got back, a nice treat to celebrate a good victory.

  
  


Ladybug never made it home that night.


	2. A Fateful Decision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another slightly short chapter before things really get going. I hope y'all like the angst, cuz it's gonna be a while before the fluff comes by.
> 
> Also still searching for a beta writer if anyone wants to hit me up.

Silence, darkness. The endless resounding of nothingness with eerily deep, and terrifying. Being lost in a blackness with nothing but yourself. Usual background noise was gone, nothing but silence, the sound so suffocating it was almost hard to breathe. No gravity to tie things down, no rime or reason to the universe.

“Marinette?! Marinette!” 

She could hear her name somewhere in the distance, only just clear enough to make out her name. Her head felt like it was stuck in jello, muting anything and everything trying to reach her. Her head stung for some unknown reason. Marinette went to lift her hand to the affected region but found it tightly bound behind her. She struggled against this non existent force, feeling panic rise inside her. She couldn’t move, not an inch. Muffled sounds began to creep in, tickling at her senses. It was agonizing, whatever was going on. Where was she? What was happening? Why now? Why this? 

What on earth was going on?

Slowly her consciousness began to creep back in, almost like a monster drawing her back into reality. Some part of her didn’t want to leave the blackness, no matter how scary the void seemed. Maybe it was because she was afraid of what she’d face when she awoke. 

Groaning Ladybug rolled her head to the side, feeling something viscous dribble down her cheek. Blood, she presumed. Willing her heavy eyelids to open Ladybug began to take in her surroundings. It was dark, wherever she was, and she was bound. Her wrists hung above her, tugging painfully on her already sore shoulders. The absent sound of fluttering filled the room, the source of which Ladybug couldn’t find. Ladybug tugged on her wrists, attempting to free them, only to be met with a sharp agonizing pain searing through her muscles. 

A guttural scream wrenched its way out her throat, the pain leaving tingling trails in its wake. The sound clawed against the empty room, echoing against the thick walls of her new prison. Her scream seemed to carry on forever before fading into the blackness, leaving silence in it’s wake. The prison stayed that way for a long time, leaving Ladybug alone with her thoughts. 

‘I should have had Chat wait for me.’ She thought to herself, rolling her head against her sore shoulder. How had she even been taken down in the first place? Her memories were foggy, like they’d been muddled by whatever happened. ‘Maybe an akuma? But I don’t remember seeing one coming. This is really pathetic.’ Looking down for her yoyo she found it missing. Great, whoever had captured her knew that it was one of the only things she could use to contact her partner. Even without the use of her hands Ladybug was crafty, she’d manage on her own somehow. For now what she’d have to do was sit, and wait, and hope to dear god whoever had her wasn’t who she thought it was.

The prison was quiet for a long time, so long Ladybug wondered if the sun had set over the skies of Paris. Just as she was running out of things to go over the quiet of the room was broken. The sound of metal hinges screeching filled the void, causing Ladybug to wince. With nothing to dampen the sound there was no stopping it’s shrill pitch. Glaring at the new noise Ladybug tracked it with her eyes, not spotting anyone so far. Her eyes had adjusted to the light, enough to see a shadow in the darkness as he stepped from whatever hatch they'd entered from.

“Hello Ladybug.”

Her stomach dropped. She knew that voice, the one voice she had been hoping not to hear. Glaring at the shadow Ladybug shuddered, knowing the implications of her current predicament.

“Hawkmoth.” She spat. Tugging on her wrists again Ladybug tried to make some headway against the mental, only earning another guttural scream from her throat. 

“You’re smarter than I thought. Then again, my underestimation of your abilities has led to many… unfortunate failures. I should amend that feeling before it leads to another similar outcome.” The man mused. With the clank of a lever the window began to open, revealing thousands and thousands of white butterflies swarming the room. Ladybug would have remarked the sight as enchanting had she not been sitting in a room with her mortal enemy without her yoyo.

The room was largely devoid of anything, aside from Hawkmoth who stood amongst the butterflies. He looked almost serene, if that were possible. It didn’t feel possible. Ladybug glared at the man who had caused her, and the world, so many problems.

“What do you want? Normally you aren’t stupid enough to try and capture a superhero. So why now? And why not take my miraculous?” She questioned. 

Hawkmoth clicked his tongue admonishingly, shaking his head. “All in due time Ladybug. All in due time. I thought it would be best to savor the satisfaction of watching your whole world crumble.” He mused, turning his cane absentmindedly. “Tell me Ladybug, how does it feel to be caught, to be helplessly chained to a wall with no method of escape.”

“You’ll never get away with this.”

Hawkmoth let out a sharp but short laugh. “Oh, but dear, I already have.” He said softly, lifting his cane to Ladybug’s chin. Forcing her chin upwards Hawkmoth took a good look at that face, those piercing blue eyes filled with hatred.

“Now that’s a look.” Satisfied, Hawkmoth smirked at Ladybug before letting her chin drop once again. “Savor this feeling, my dear. For it will be the last moment you exist as Ladybug.” 

Ladybug felt her blood run cold. He was going to kill her, to torture her, and take away her miraculous. Without the ladybug there would be no cure to Hawkmoth’s butterflies. The world would fall into chaos, and ultimately, it would be her fault. 

  
She couldn’t live with that.

Pursing her lips together a thought crossed Ladybugs mind. A thought she hadn’t had for many many years, but it was an important thought. She was the guardian, she held the power. If Hawkmoth found out who she was, everyone would be in danger. All of her friends, family. She couldn't do that to them.

Her mind raced. Who would be the best option? She trusted Chat Noir with her life, but she couldn’t put the burden of guardianship on his shoulders. It was already going to be enough with her loosing her memories. A heavy weight settled on her shoulders. She would forget everything wouldn’t she? To be honest, Marinette wasn’t sure. Master Fu hadn’t remembered either her or Chat Noir, but then again they’d only met after he’d taken on the box. Would she retain her memories from before the box itself? Or would she lose them all?

There was really only one way to find out.

Looking at Hawkmoth she shifted her weight. She’d have to wait as long as possible. If it could be avoided she would rather not do what she was about to do. Hopefully Chat Noir would find her in time. It was the only way to avoid this choice.

“Your knight in shining armor won’t be coming for you. I’ve spent time concealing my location, and to date you have never successfully found it. That was until I brought you here.”

“I believe in Chat Noir.” Ladybug held her head high, looking up at Hawkmoth. The man had the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“How pitiful.”

* * *

“She can’t have gone far.”

“You sure she’s not just out for a stroll man?” Carapace asked once again, scanning the rooftops from his position. Rena Rouge was out across town, scanning the streets much as the rest of them were. Queen Bee, even Bunnyx had shown up to lend a hand. Chat Noir’s late-night SOS had gone out to all parties involved with the miraculous, old and new. If someone else went missing it was worrying but not necessarily life-threatening. Without Ladybug there was no curing the akumas. No curing akumas meant the fighting would never stop. With no way to cure an akuma it was free to leave its first host and hop onto the next. On top of all that she was the guardian of the miracle box, their leader. 

  
She needed to be found, and soon.

“I’m positive Carapace. Absolutely positive. If she had she would have texted me. It’s not like her to disappear into thin air just like that. Besides she usually gets really hungry after a fight. She’d never miss dinner.” Chat gnawed on his claws, scanning the horizon at a feverish pace. Not knowing where Ladybug was worried him to no end. Where could she have gone? He'd looked back where the akuma had been defeated and found nothing remaining of their fight, and a fresh stain of blood along the rooftop. She couldn't have been out for a stroll, not if there was blood.

“We’ll find her.” Carapace promised. As much as Chat wanted to take comfort in his words he couldn’t, not until his lady was safe. Opting to simply hang up the phone instead of replying Chat lept off his perch, continuing to scour the streets of Paris.

* * *

“Agh!”

Ladybug gasped as she slumped down once again. Hawkmoth had spent the past however long it had been torturing her, mostly mentally, partly physically. Her head had continued to throb with every pulse of her heart.

Ladybug had had just about enough. He seemed to enjoy the torture of watching her suffer. Her head wound had scabbed, alluding to the time that had passed. Her consciousness was fading in and out, the edges of her vision eager to take over. She needed to stay awake. She was almost out of time.

Hawkmoth whacked his cane against his own palm, grinning happily as he stared at his prey. “Our visit has been lovely, dear, but your time is up.” He stood his cane right side up again, tapping the end against the hard concrete floor. “I really do hope you look back on it fondly as I destroy the rest of Paris.”

Ladybug looked up at Hawkmoth with disdain in her eye. She had to do it now before she regretted it. She’d made her choice, hopefully one Chat Noir would understand. Her nightmare was coming true right before her eyes. She needed to protect the miraculous, even at a great cost to her own life.

“Any last words?” 

“Yeah.” Marinette mustered a grin. “I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, hereby relinquish the miracle box, and name Viperion the new guardian!”

In a flash of light, the world changed forever.


	3. Shattered Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally have a Beta Reader!
> 
> A huge thanks to A_Slytherin_Potato for proofreading my work and generally giving me advice from this chapter onwards.
> 
> Now onto the soul crushing!

“No! Impossible!”

A blinding white light wrapped around Ladybug, breaking the chains that bound her to the wall. It cloaked her in a warm blanket, taking over her body as if it weighed no more than a single feather. The butterflies took off from the ground, circling around the room and spiraling up towards Ladybug’s cocoon of light.

Far away, in the apartment that Marinette and Adrien shared the Miracle Box, hidden inside a dress frame, glowed. The case surrounding it slowly opened, unleashing a wave of light into the empty apartment. The brilliance coated the walls in blinding white light, flashing every single Miraculous symbol before the case fell silently back to the floor.

Ladybug opened her eyes, light spilling forth with reckless abandon. A wave pulsed out from her glowing body, blasting through the walls of the observatory like paper. As it turns out passing the Miracle Box was a powerful thing, powerful enough to send a shockwave across Paris.

The light coming from Ladybug burst through the roof of the building, shooting directly into the sky. The heroes who were currently out looking for their leader all turned towards the massive bang that rang across Paris. The light swept across the horizon, outdoing even the brilliance of the sunset.

Chat, who was perched on the Eiffel tower, turned his head towards the light. His gut sank, tying itself in a pretty little bow.

“Marinette.” He mumbled to himself, fervor in his voice as he lept off the top of the tower.

The light swirled around Ladybug in a chaotic cyclone of energy, taking away what it had once given. And just like that when the deed was done the light retreated to where it had come from, taking with it the brilliance it bestowed. 

  
Where once there was a superhero now there was nothing but a girl, laying in a crumpled heap on the floor of the observatory. Her dark hair was matted against her head, sweat beading against her skin. The once dark room had been busted open by the power of the Miracle Box, leaving the butterflies exposed to the open air. Ladybug showed no signs of waking any time soon, her transformation was broken for the foreseeable future.

Hawkmoth, sensing a chance he may never have again, reached for the earrings only to be zapped by something intangible. He gazed at his hand in curiosity and tried to reach for them again, only to be met with the same results. Warm white energy pulsed off his hand, flickering like little lightning storms as it dissipated.

Chat, spotting the observatory, felt his heart sinking all over again. He knew the place well, he should. He lived there for the majority of his life. He’d figured out who Hawkmoth was a long time ago, or rather Ladybug had. It was hard to believe at first, and some part of him still held hope. His mind watched that shred of hope disappear as he landed on the roof between Hawkmoth and Ladybug. He crouched between his mortal enemy and his Lady, determined not to let him hurt another hair on her head.

“Not today.” Chat spit, fists clenched tight. “You don’t get to lay a hand on her.” 

“Ah, Chat Noir. How nice of you to join us.” Hawkmoth said, trying to hide his own irritation. He couldn’t keep losing his cool, not in front of people who were awake to witness it. If they knew he was losing it they’d have the upper hand.

“Stay away from her, Hawkmoth, or you will regret it.”   
  


“She is of no more use to me anyway.” Hawkmoth spat, his face contorting into a frown. “A pity. I thought she was smarter than that. I suppose I was wrong. However, I must cut our meeting short. I am afraid I have other matters to attend to.” He said, calmly wandering towards the edge of the roof. He turned to make one last remark.

“I do hope the next time we meet you are groveling at my feet.”

And with that Hawkmoth leapt out of the building. A majority of the butterflies took off, following after their master while a few stuck around to flitter aimlessly in the cold Parisian evening. The sunset had passed, drawing in a steady roll of thick grey clouds over the horizon. You could smell the oncoming rain in the air.

Chat, no longer preoccupied with their mortal enemy, turned around to face Ladybug. He’d been vaguely aware she was hurt but to what extent, he finally knew. 

“Marinette!”

Chat scrambled towards his beloved, gloved hands cradling her head with utmost care as he lifted her off the ground. He almost couldn’t believe his eyes, her perfect form had been mangled, sullied by Hawkmoth’s dirty hands. Her left arm dangled precariously from it’s socket, fingers brushing against the ground lifelessly. Her lip was busted open, the skin red and angry from it’s break. Chat smoothed back her hair from her eyes, a claw gently running over the cut on her forehead.   
  


“Oh god.” Choking on his own tears Chat wasn’t really sure what to feel. Everything inside him was squeezing, almost like he was suffocating from the inside out. He was only vaguely aware that he was shaking, the hand that soothed Marinette’s hair trembled visibly to those around him. Soft droplets of rain began to splatter the rooftop, the air filling with soft paters and gentle sobs.

“Chat.” The voice was familiar and soothing. Rena. He’d been completely oblivious to her arrival. Turning towards the vulpine with tears in his eyes Chat managed only a choked sob, holding Marinette even closer to his heart. He could hear Marinette’s breaths, it was the only thing that gave him comfort at the moment. Rena’s gaze was pained, clearly just as upset but holding herself together much better than Chat was. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, thumb rubbing gentle circles on the spandex-clad skin. “We need to take her to the hospital.” She said gently. 

Master Fu would have been a good resource in this situation, but he was gone. He hadn’t lasted much longer without the turtle Miraculous attached to his consciousness. With the power to outlast time gone it caught up to him. Marinette had been crushed by his passing. For Chat this felt like losing him all over again, but a hundred times worse.

Chat nodded numbly. Rena was right, she needed medical attention, the human kind. Scooping his arms underneath Marinette’s legs, Chat stood. “I’ll go. You guys transform back and meet me there.” He said softly. As much as Marinette needed him right now he wasn’t sure he could stand staring at her face. Even though she wasn’t awake he could see the crease of worry in her brow, the tension in her jaw. Just the sight of her bruised lip sent rage and anguish coursing through his veins.    
  
“Chat….” Rena hesitated, not really sure how to comfort him in this situation. Sure the four of them were close, but never as close as Adrien and Marinette. They were two peas in a pod. Two sides of the same coin. Yin and Yang. They were made for each other. And now, his other half was barely hanging onto consciousness. Chat gazed back at Rena, a pained look in his eye that begged for no more questions. He couldn’t handle questions right now.

Rena obliged and retracted her hand, letting Chat get Marinette help.

Silently hoping off the roof Chat went racing in the direction of the closest hospital. The journey there was silent other than the howl of the rain. Thunder clapped in the distance, the rain never let up as he traveled. Marinette showed no signs of waking and Chat didn’t have the emotional strength to say anything either. Silent tears flowed from his eyes, only barely teetering on the edge of a full-blown breakdown. 

By the time Chat got anywhere near the hospital, he was drenched. Stray hairs sticking to his moist skin he tried to keep his beloved close, hoping the sound of his heartbeat soothed her somewhere deep inside her unconscious mind.

Chat landed in an alleyway not far from the hospital. His lips moved to say something but nothing more than a garbled choke came out. Willing himself with the remainder of his strength he whispered “Claws in.” With a flash of green light, Plagg floated out of the ring where he usually was, but there were no quipping remarks, no sarcastic comments, just silence. The black cat kwami stayed that way as he went up to Marinette. Pulling Tikki from her hiding spot amongst Marinette’s outfit he gently coaxed her sobbing form into Adrien’s pocket.

Wandering up to the front door of the hospital Adrien braced himself. There were going to be a lot of questions he would have to lie his way out of, something he still didn’t enjoy doing. A superhero’s life came with secrets, some more important than others. A passing nurse took one look at Marinette and called for a gurney, causing the once quiet ER to erupt into chaos. Setting her body gently onto the bed Marinette was whisked away, and Adrien finally had room to let go of his will.

Falling to his knees, Adrien began to sob quietly in the middle of the ER.

* * *

“Do you think he’ll be ok?” Nino asked softly. 

Alya had proposed they return to the couple’s apartment, to grab a few things Adrien might need at the hospital. Who knows how long Marinette would be in there, and one thing was for sure, Adrien wouldn’t be leaving her side.

“I don’t know.” Alya said quietly, her hands gently folded in a shirt she’d taken from the couple’s closet. All Alya had seen was the pillar of light and the wave that ensued afterward. Then, nothing. “We don’t know what happened to her, what he did to her. We don’t even know when she’ll recover.” Alya said softly. “Even then, who knows what will happen after she wakes up.”

Nino fell silent, his hands which were currently going through toiletries stilled. It was weird enough that they were going through their friend’s stuff, but in this situation, it felt even more invasive. Alya hadn’t dared look into the sewing room yet, knowing it would be flooded with memories of her friend that would make today’s predicament all too real, too personal. Alya was already hanging by a thread.

At first, Marinette lying to her for years had been a shock, but over time the vulpine heroine began to understand why she’d done it. The life of a superhero was hard and dangerous. Revealing one’s identity had upsides, but it came with a lot of dangers as well. Dangers that had been narrowly avoided one too many times. Even lady luck runs out at some point.

“We should probably call her parents.” Nino mumbled softly, his hands slowly resuming his work. Alya knew he was right, but what would they even say when the situation was so uncertain? ‘Hey, your daughter’s been attacked by Hawkmoth and we don’t know what’s going to happen to her. Oh by the way, your daughter has been Ladybug since the age of 14 and we’ve all been lying to you for over 10 years.’ Yeah, that was very reassuring.

“I think we should wait, at least till we know a bit more.” Alya said softly. “I know it’s wrong to keep her parents in the dark but… I don’t want to call if we have nothing to tell. It’s not like we can tell them now about her being Ladybug and all. We were sworn to secrecy.” Alya said softly. Her hands still gripped the plain t-shirt. She found herself cursing at the fact that she couldn't do more for her best friend.

  
“Are you sure?” Nino asked tentatively. Alya was usually always the one with a plan between the two of them, but this was nothing she could plan for. When it came to superhero stuff Ladybug was the master. Marinette would know how to handle this situation, she always had a plan for everything.

“God Nino, I don’t know! I’m not the one with a plan! I never am in life or death situations! Marinette was always the one with the plan, she would know what was right!” Alya shouted, thrusting the shirt aside. Her body shuddered lightly, the weight of emotions having a physical effect on her body. She wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to keep it together, certainly not long enough to make it to the hospital in one piece.   
  
Feeling warm arms around her Alya gazed back over her shoulder to see Nino. He pulled his fiance into a tight embrace. “It’s okay to not know.” He said softly, one hand coming up to smooth back the hairs on her head. “I don’t think anyone knows how to deal with things like this.”

Alya felt her lip quiver under its own weight. Turning her body into Nino’s she buried her face into his chest and let out a long sob.

* * *

It had taken a nurse gently coaxing him up off the ER floor for Adrien to actually move. He felt more like a zombie than a human being at the moment. By now the flurry of doctors and nurses had gone, leaving a now bandaged Marinette in a hospital bed in an empty room. There were semblances of comfort dotting the room, like a burgundy chair in the corner which Adrien had now occupied. Some part of this existence didn’t feel real, like he was living in an alternate timeline that someone had created. He didn’t want to be here, he certainly didn’t like the feeling of watching his loved one fall limp to the ground in a cacophony of terrifying ways like it did inside his head.

He vaguely remembered the doctor explaining why Marinette was still in the hospital. For one thing her extended lack of consciousness was unsettling and hinted at possible underlying injuries. Her left shoulder had been dislocated out of it’s socket, hence the limp nature of the appendage that was now in a sling. Her busted lip would heal on its own, her head wound needed a stitch or two but would ultimately be fine. Now all that was left was to wait.    
  
Waiting gave Adrien an unhealthy amount of time alone with his thoughts. Thoughts like ‘what if I had gotten there sooner? What if I had been the one who was taken? Why hadn’t her Miraculous been stolen? What did Hawkmoth do to her?’. Lots of his questions wouldn’t be answered until Marinette was back in the world of consciousness. That didn’t seem to be happening any time soon.

He’d received a text from Nino stating that he’d stopped by his place to pick up some things, predicting that Adrien may be in the hospital for a while. The thought of his friend and his fiance rummaging through his stuff was unsettling but he knew Nino was right. He wasn’t going to leave her side, not after all that had happened. He owed her that much.

Rubbing his puffy eyes Adrien curled into the corner of the chair, trying to find any solace in the uncomfortable fabric. Normally Plagg would be the one to bring him out of all this nonsense but he was eerily quiet. Tikki had come to join him not long after, the two sitting on the edge of the armrest. Tikki gently laid her head against Plaggs, clearly deep in thought. Tikki knew what happened, but Adrien couldn’t bring himself to ask her anything. It wouldn’t be fair to talk to her before Marinette woke up.

Adrien’s phone pinged, signaling a text from Nino. He checked it briefly, noting that there wasn’t much there other than Nino was on his way. Adrien shut off his phone, letting out a long sigh. “I feel so stupid.” He mumbled softly, mostly to himself. Plagg floated into Adrien’s frame of vision, his whiskers drooped lightly.

“You’re not stupid.” He said softly. Adrien had never heard that tone from him before, it was too gentle, it didn’t suit Plagg at all. Tikki joined her companion, the two of them sitting in front of Adrien. Their small nubs folded together, almost like they were holding hands. Adrien would have thought it was endearing if he hadn’t been so upset. “You couldn’t have known. None of us could have known. If we did, it wouldn’t have happened.”

“But I could have.” Adrien snapped, screwing his eyes shut. He didn’t want to cry, not again. He already felt puffy. “I should have known that her being alone was a bad idea. I should have waited for her. I should have-”

“Adrien.” Tikki chided softly. “Marinette wouldn’t blame you either. She’d be furious if I let you beat yourself up.” She mumbled softly. The tiny red bug put her soft little nubs on Adrien’s cheeks. “Marinette did what she had to to survive. You’re going to need all the strength you can muster for her.” Tikki said softly. 

Adrien frowned. Her sentence was oddly cryptic, even for the ancient creatures of the Miraculous. Concern began to flood his mind, thoughts grasping at what on earth she could mean. “Why? What did she do Tikki?” Adrien asked, slowly sitting up. The red bug fell silent, finding it hard to express in words what had happened. It was a major shock to her system just as it had been to Marinette. Just as Tikki opened her lips Marinette began to stir from her slumber. 

  
At first it was the change in the steady beep of the heart rate monitor. Then came the soft groan. Adrien nearly tipped over trying to scramble out of his chair. He was by her bedside in a matter of seconds, the topic of conversation long gone from his train of thought. All that mattered was his lady was waking up.

“Marinette. I’m here princess. I’m right here.” He whispered, bringing his hand over hers. Adrien watched as she slowly opened her eyes, gaze fluttering as she slowly began to wake. Marinette was oddly silent, taking in her surroundings, her bluebell eyes met his before she uttered six words that shattered his universe.

“I’m sorry, but who are you?”


	4. New Beginnings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a long one, but I think it settles just right.
> 
> Big thanks to A_Slytherin_Potato and my good friend Isaac for helping me out.

“Hmm, well there doesn’t seem to be anything physically wrong with her. Her scans look fine, and she does have some memory. However, it seems her memory of people is completely gone. She remembers faces after she’s been introduced but any previous knowledge of any other living being is… gone.” 

The doctor turned towards the group of people that had gathered in the room. Everyone was eerily quiet, even Alya who would normally ask a million and one questions. There were lots of furrowed brows and concerned gazes. Alya had taken up the position next to Marinette, who had her gaze fixed at the opposite wall. 

Her head was fuzzy, was it always supposed to be like this? She turned her head to the people she supposedly knew. Looking from face to face Marinette furrowed her brow. She felt like there was suddenly a huge gap in her brain where they were supposed to exist. The fact that they were all standing diligently by her bedside as the doctor shined lights in her eyes proved that fact. The brunette who sat closest to the bed seemed quite upset, which didn’t make Marinette feel any better.

“I’m… I’m really sorry… what was your name again?” She asked softly, knowing the fact that she had to ask was hurtful enough. The brunette winced at her question, clearly uncomfortable. Still she put on a brave smile and squeezed Marinette’s hand gently.

“My name is Alya. You and I are really good friends.” She said softly. Marinette furrowed her brow. How had she forgotten someone she was supposed to be good friends with? Her hands willed themselves into fists out of frustration. Alya patted her fist gently. “It’s ok,” She said, shooting a glance at the two men who stood behind her. With one last pat Alya got up and tugged both boys out by their arms, leaving Marinette all alone with the doctor once again.

* * *

“Ok, explain.” Alya demanded, tugging the two boys into a corner in the hospital hallway. Adrien moved his jacket, letting both Kwami fly out of their hiding spot. Tikki hung her head as she floated into the center of their tight circle. Her eyes looked puffier than usual, clearly a sign she had been crying. Plagg was floating stoically at her side, one nub rubbing her back in soothing circles.   
  


“I-I… I tried to stop her, but you know how it is when you’re transformed. It’s not exactly like we can talk.” Tikki mumbled softly. “Hawkmoth took her yoyo. She had no way to send her location to you guys. She tried to think of other options but… she ended up relinquishing the Miracle Box.”

“SHE WHAT!” Adrien snapped, grabbing Tikki with both hands. “No, she wouldn’t. She DIDN’T!” 

Tikki avoided Adrien’s gaze, rubbing her nubs together. “But she did Adrien. She gave it up to protect everyone from Hawkmoth. You only found her after the column of light.” She pointed out. Losing her steam Tikki seemed to wilt all over. “It happened, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it.”   
  
“Well who did she give the box to?” Alya asked the small Kwami. Tikki shifted nervously under everyone’s gaze. She was treading on thin ice already, and with Marinette losing her memory she wouldn’t remember why she gave the box to Luka and not Adrien.

“Viperion.” She mumbled softly.

“WHAT!” Adrien practically screamed, letting the small bug go. His screams drew stares from others in the hallway, clearly not pleased with the outburst from the small group of young adults. Nino began apologizing quietly to the others around them, trying to avoid talking in the current moment. Adrien was furious, he had every right to be. Why hadn’t she given the box to him? They were partners, christ they were practically married, and she gave it to the dude with the snake bracelet. “Why?” He demanded, staring down the small Ladybug Kwami.

“I don’t know Adrien. When we are joined in the suit I have a view of her feelings but I can’t read her thoughts. It’s not that easy. I know she thought about giving it to you, but she didn’t. I can’t explain why other than she probably didn’t want to hurt you.” Tikki looked ashamed, and she was. Ashamed that she hadn’t sensed Hawkmoth or the akuma coming for her Master. She had failed, and now they were here.

Adrien clenched his hands into fists, rage coursing through him all over again. They were supposed to be partners and she’d given the box to someone else. Not just someone else, the someone else she’d dated briefly in high school. That hurt a lot more than Adrien would ever admit to. 

  
Alya sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose just underneath her dark framed glasses. “Well it’s not like we can go back now.” She mumbled, looking up at Adrien. “You need to get your head in the game. Being mad right now won’t solve anything, and it sure as hell won’t help Marinette.” She chidded. Moving to stand decisively between Adrien and the scared Kwami, Alya poked his chest with her index finger. “Marinette is my best friend in the universe, and her well being comes before yours any day of the week.” She declared, her tone hushed and firm. “I understand that all of this is painful for you, but you need to keep it in check. Marinette has no memory of anything, but the person most likely to jog those memories is you, no matter how much I don’t agree with it. She needs her knight in shining armor. Now more than ever.” Letting out a sigh Alya let up on tension, relaxing her stance and crossing her arms.    
  
“Things are going to get a lot more complicated from here.” Alya mumbled. Tikki floated up to the brunette’s shoulder, gently resting on it. 

“That’s another thing.” Tikki mumbled. “We can’t tell her.”

“Ok, even I don’t understand that.” Alya grumbled, turning her head slightly to give Tikki a side eye. The Kwami looked fearful but certain. 

“Hawkmoth knows who she is now. Her identity as Ladybug is jeopardized. If he knows who she is he can target those close to her, which means every one of you.” Tikki didn’t look happy about that fact. “She was, and still is, the best Ladybug I’ve ever had. But we can’t risk losing the power to cure akumas. Without it, all of Paris is in danger.” She sighed. “We will need a new Ladybug until Hawkmoth is defeated. And you have to go back to hiding your identity.” Tikki stated to Adrien. The blond looked deeply discomforted by this statement.    
  
“I hate hiding who I am, especially from her.” He mumbled. “Isn’t there another way to go about this? Can’t we just tell her? What’s the worst that could happen? Sure, she can’t be Ladybug for a while but keeping everything a secret is a lot harder when you live together.” He didn’t want to hide anything from Marinette. 

Tikki shook her head solemnly. “We don’t know what will happen if we do tell her. The magic of the Miracle Box is a mystery even to us Kwami. We’ve been through dozens of keepers but the end result is the same. We’ve never lost a Guardian at such a young age, so I really don’t know what will happen to her memories. At best nothing will happen, at worst… she could lose her life.”

Adrien’s blood ran cold. She could die? From something as simple as the Miracle Box? To Adrien it didn’t feel real. All of this didn’t feel real. Some part of him hoped that this was all a dream, that he would wake up in a cold sweat next to his Lady, that she would soothe his hair and reassure him that it was all just a figment of his imagination, but it wasn’t. 

This was real. The threat to her life was very real. As much as he loved her he wasn’t about to put her life at risk. 

“Ok.” Adrien said with a shaky breath. “Ok, I guess we have to wait.” He mumbled. “If she starts to regain memories maybe she’ll remember this all. Maybe….” Adrien said feebly. Tikki cast him a look that spoke volumes. The chance of her ever coming back to what she used to be would be slim, but it was all Adrien had to hold onto. The three of them all stood in silence for a moment before Nino spoke up.   
  
“I’ll call Luka.” He said softly, picking up his phone. Alya shot Adrien a look before handing back Tikki. “I’m going to go with him. I think it’s best if you go talk to her. She needs you, more than she will ever need me.” She mumbled softly. Without another word Alya turned and followed Nino down the hall, hand in hand.    
  
Adrien took a deep breath. His muscles trembled as he opened his jacket once again, inviting the kwami inside its warm embrace. He didn’t feel ok, but he had to look ok. He’d had years of practice of this as a teenager, it should be easy. It didn’t feel easy.

Pushing the door open, Adrien went back in to face his fears. 

* * *

Marinette had passed the time since the doctor left by idly drawing circles with her right hand on the white sheets of the hospital bed. Their discussion swirled through her head like a storm. She felt so… wrong. She had tried to recall people and things and it felt like she was grasping at straws. She wasn’t even sure where that saying came from, but she knew it. It was a strange feeling, to feel clouded about everything but have some things shine through so vividly.    
  
The sound of the door opening echoed against the bare walls of the hospital. Marinette turned her gaze to the door, spotting the handsome blond man from earlier. His appearance tickled her fancy (another saying she wasn’t sure how she remembered), but other than that there was nothing. Her gaze glided over his slightly stubbled chin, unkempt blond locks, and unsure green eyes. She willed herself to remember, gaze narrowing as she tried to pull up something, anything. All it did was give her a headache.

  
“Hey.” His voice was smooth as silk, wavering ever so slightly. Marinette didn’t press the fact that small movements betrayed his cool outer exterior. The waver in his voice, the slight tremble in his hands. She meant a great deal to him, that much had been painfully aware when she woke up. The crushed look in his gaze when she’d asked who he was was almost unbearable. Just the thought of it made guilt settle in her stomach all over again.

“Hi… Sorry, what was your name again?” She asked softly. “The doctor said I have a mild concussion so things are still a bit hard to pick up.”

The man smiled, the kind of smile you see on tv. It looked all wrong on his face. She didn’t know why but her brain screamed at her that something was wrong with this look on this person. 

“My name is Adrien.” His voice had steadied by now, the calm exterior gently covering his true feelings like a mask. Marinette let the name roll over in her brain, joining the storm of other words. Her head panged once again, causing her to wince.   
  
“Are you ok?” His voice was filled with concern as he moved closer to her bed. Giving him a weak smile Marinette nodded. 

“Yeah, I’m ok. I just keep trying to recall, and it seems to be giving me a headache.” She laughed softly, the kind of laugh that felt hollow. “I’m sorry, it’s nice to meet you Adrien.” 

His smile was a lot gentler this time around, coming to sit next to her bed. “Don’t force yourself. While memories are important you can’t change the fact that you don’t remember.” His hand came to cover hers, something which was oddly comforting. “From now on, you don’t need to worry about remembering. I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” 

His promise eased some of the guilt in her gut. She felt bad, putting this burden on him, but at the same time he seemed happy to help out. She wanted to ask a few things right away, but she needed to explain what the doctor had said to someone who would remember better than she would. Clearly her brain would fail her, one way or another.

“The doctor said I’d be kept here for a few days, so they can track my concussion and memory loss.” She said softly. “To be honest I really don’t know where I should go after leaving here.” She said softly. Everything felt so uncertain and yet she didn’t want to ask. She could see his face scrunching from the corner of her vision.

“You have someplace to go, trust me.” He said softly. “There’s actually a few options, but I think it would be best if I explain things first.” He said softly. “I can tell you want to ask something. Please, go ahead.”   
  
Pausing for a moment Marinette sighed. “What am I… or was I to you?” She asked softly. She didn’t know if the answer would be something she could take, but she needed to know. It would help explain the glances he stole at her, the way he was sacrificing himself. She watched him carefully, feeling tension crease into his fingers as he braced himself. 

A gentle silence passed between the two, Adrien taking a long while to compose himself before mumbling “We are dating, or we were.” His voice regained its slight tremble, clearly upset. Her heart broke inside, knowing what that meant. 

He had been dear to her, and she couldn’t even remember his name. Her guilt doubled in weight inside her gut, weighing down on her. Marinette leaned back into her pillows, not moving her hand from his grip. She couldn’t remember, and that fact made her angry. She had been important enough that he was by her side when she woke up, that he looked at her like she was the only thing that existed in the universe. And yet, she couldn’t remember a thing. No first date, no romantic kisses in the middle of the night. How had they met? Where? How long had they dated? Her head swirled with questions too painful to ask. She couldn’t do more to him.

“I see.” She mumbled softly, squeezing his hand with her own. “This must be hard on you.” It was the only words she could muster.

“It must be much harder on you.” His reply was quick yet soft. She could grow to love that voice, she thought, her gaze dropping to the crinkled white sheets.    
  
“Maybe….” She pondered softly, her right hand resuming its pattern on the white canvas, her left still occupied by Adrien’s. “This is going to take a while to get used to.” She mused, mostly to herself. A reassuring squeeze tingled her fingertips.

“I’ll be here.” He promised. That was the reassurance she needed.

* * *

Adrien shut the door behind him as he got home, letting out a long sigh. It had been a long day, long enough that Adrien had left Marinette alone for the evening. He had a lot he needed to think about, and having the Kwami at the hospital was a risk already. They would need to find new spots to hide in their apartment, something Adrien didn’t want to think about.

The apartment felt empty without her, the pouring rain didn’t help. Everything just felt heavy. It was like a grey film had been cast over everything. Flicking on the light did little to help this feeling, dragging his feet as he wandered into the empty space. The kitchen was dark, the small U shape separated by a mostly empty bookshelf. Neither of them really had time to read. He tossed his packed bag onto the couch, tugging on his blond locks. They tousled in every direction. He needed a shower, and a nap, but he didn’t feel like either. A shower made him feel like crying, trying to sleep would only keep himself more awake. Everything that awaited him was torture. He would have to relive everything with Marinette. He gazed at the dresser in their room. It was dotted with pictures they had shared. There was them on the Eiffel tower, one of them on a canoe.    
  
“Shower first.” He mumbled to himself, turning towards the bathroom with determination.

* * *

The attempt at a shower and sleep had gone as expected. Terribly. His shower was full of swirling thoughts and tears, and his attempt at sleep had only been met with more tears. Being in bed without her, knowing that it might be ages till they’re ever going to be like that again. If they ever will.

Adrien gave up on sleep somewhere around 4 am, sitting up in the empty bed all by himself. Tikki and Plagg had fallen asleep on the pillow next to him, something they did often. He smiled half-heartedly, knowing this would be one of the last times they could do that. Quietly Adrien slipped out of bed, getting himself ready. He was going to visit the one person he could always count on, his mother.   
  


Slipping on a jacket Adrien wandered back into the bedroom, scooping up the two kwami as gently as possible, sliding the two in his pocket. As much as he wanted to leave them on the pillow he wouldn’t let Paris down again. Hawkmoth could attack at any time, and that included pre-dawn hours. He couldn’t risk going alone, or leaving Tikki on her own after yesterday. Grabbing his keys from the small table near the door Adrien headed out of the apartment towards the parking garage.

The drive was quiet, an unusual feat for Adrien. His drives as a kid had been eerily quiet so he usually drove with the music on, but that didn’t seem right. Not right now. He’d set his jacket aside so the kwami could sleep without being awoken by his driving. It was dawn when Adrien arrived at the picturesque graveyard, the sun peeking over the horizon. Normally he would have thought it was beautiful, but all he wished for was the cover of night so no one could watch his probable mental breakdown. He crossed his fingers that they weren’t holding a dawn ceremony as he passed through the gates.    
  
Getting to the cemetery so early had its benefits, one of which being that finding parking was super easy. As he pulled his nice black four seater into a spot Adrien let out a soft sigh. By now Plagg had begun to stir, likely from the car ride. The small Kwami wasn’t the best with vehicles moving him. Looking over at his jacket Adrien spotted him poking his head out.

“Where are we?” Plagg’s voice was raspy from sleep. Adrien gave his head a soft pat.    
  


“The cemetery.” He mumbled. “Go back to sleep Plagg. I’ll get you and Tikki some breakfast after I talk with my mom.” 

The small creature seemed to understand, tucking his head back into the fabric of his expensive coat. Tugging the garment on Adrien grasped the flowers that he’d picked up on the way over. He’d practically scared the florist out of her skin by knocking on the shop windows at half past 5. He’d given her a large tip in return. After all he probably gave her the impression of a murderer, not a customer. He gazed down at his choice. White lilies, his mother’s favorite. 

The air was brisk outside the car, the cool sharpness sending a chill through Adrien all the way to the bone. Tucking his free hand into his pocket he cradled the flowers in his right arm, wandering up the hill towards her grave. 

Adrien had to give credit to his father, he’d picked the most beautiful spot on the grounds. Her spot was located underneath a cherry tree that bloomed wonderfully in the spring. He’d even had a bench placed there, presumably so Adrien could come sit and talk. He’d been reluctant to even purchase a plot considering she went missing. He never really gave up hope that she would come back, which was very much in character for him.

The grave was carved in marble, again, much like his father to go over the top. Only the best for his dearest love. Adrien smiled at the head stone, his spare hand coming out of it’s warm cocoon to trace the golden lettering of her name. Gently he set the flowers on the small ledge, being careful not to squish them. He stood facing her headstone, heaving a long sigh. He always felt awkward starting the conversation with a piece of ground. She couldn’t hear him, not anymore, yet somehow these one sided conversations made him feel better. If he had a therapist she would probably tell him it was a coping mechanism.

“Hey Mom….” His voice cracked, a sign of the early morning hours. “It’s me again, your son. Adrien. Like you have another son.” He laughed at himself. Of course she didn’t, his father would have known, and therefore so would he. “I know it’s been a while. Being busy is no excuse for not visiting your mother. Still I was sort of wrapped up in my own world. Marinette and I were doing really well together, the move went smoothly. I still can’t believe she said yes to moving in together. Really I wasn’t sure she would say yes. I mean we were going great and all but you can never be one hundred percent sure….” He trailed off. How did one broach this subject? Why was it so hard to talk about even with someone who wasn’t even there.

“Well the thing is… Marinette got hurt. Like really hurt. Like she lost all her memories hurt. And now I don’t know what to do. I mean, what does anyone do in a situation like this! Do you just start all over? How am I supposed to forget everything we’ve already been through. How am I supposed to just forget the last ten years of our lives? I mean granted we weren’t dating for those 10 years but we spent a good chunk of time together. And now I can’t tell her about us, about what we do. Her Ladybug days are basically over, which means I have to choose someone else, or rather Viperion has to choose someone because she didn’t even give the Miracle Box to me! She gave it to her dumb ex boyfriend number one instead. Why the hell did she even do that!  _ I  _ am supposed to be her partner,  _ I  _ am supposed to be her other half, not  _ him _ ! And on top of that I have to pretend that I’m not a superhero, which is way harder than it looks especially when you live together, and I just don’t know what to do anymore!”

As Adrien ranted on and on tears began to flow in a steady stream down his cheeks. He didn’t bother trying to blot them away, letting them blaze hot trails across his skin. “It’s not  _ FAIR _ ! Nothing is ever  _ fair  _ for me! I lost you, and then dad stopped caring, and now the one and  _ only _ person who ever saw me for me doesn’t even remember I exist! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!”

“Ahem”

The disembodied voice that wasn’t his own caused Adrien to whip around from where he was standing. His gaze traveled over to a very familiar redhead, someone that Adrien hadn’t talked to in a long time. 

“Nathaniel?” His name felt strange on Adrien’s tongue, almost foregin. It had been so long since he’d used it there was a good reason for feeling so awkward. Realization dawned on him rather quickly, a flush coming to his cheeks. “How much of that did you hear.”

“Pretty much all of it.” Nathaniel was cool as ice, his once shaggy hair tamed by the passage of time. He looked… different, more mature. The way he held himself had changed. Adrien groaned. ‘Perfect, to top off all the shit that happened I pretty much confessed that I’m Chat Noir in front of someone who knows nothing about The Miraculous at all.’ Adrien moved to sit on the bench, burying his head in his hands. Somewhere in the background Adrien heard the shuffling of feet before the bench bowed beside him.

“Can I ask questions? Or would you rather have someone just listen.”    
  
Adrien was grateful for the offer of an option. “You can ask questions. You probably have a lot to ask and it’s easier to get the question out of the way earlier.”   
  
“Ok.” Nathaniel paused, seeming to get his thoughts together. “So you’re Chat Noir?” 

“Yep.” Adrien winced a bit at that question. The most obvious one, and the most painful to admit.

“And Marinette is… Ladybug?”

“Correct.”

“And something happened to her. What exactly happened to her?”

‘Of course,’ Adrien pondered, rubbing his brow, ‘Hardest questions first.’ Pausing he tried to figure out how to best word it. “She… got captured to put it simply. We were fighting an akuma and afterwards she asked to stay behind and make sure the victim was ok. She was always like that.” He laughed slightly, his lips pursing into a sad smile. “I should have stayed with her, but I didn’t. Instead I went home to wait for her and she… never came home. We searched all of Paris for her but we didn’t find her until she’d done something… irreversible.” 

“And what exactly would that be?”

This was going to be a long explanation, Adrien mused to himself. “Well you see this?” He brought his hand out to show his ring, “This is a Miraculous. Every superhero has one, they are the key to us transforming. Well, that and a Kwami but I’ll explain those later if you want. Mine is still sleeping, and will probably give me an earful once he wakes up.” Adrien rolled his eyes. “Anyway, all the Miraculous are kept in one spot, under the guide of a Guardian. For the first few years of us being Miraculous holders the guardian was an old man who wielded the turtle miraculous, which has now been given to someone else. During a battle he gave up his Guardianship of the box to Marinette, and with it went his memories. Marinette was quite distraught at the time, not that I was privy to her pain. We didn’t know each other as superheroes back then. We were just classmates.” 

Adrien paused to collect himself for a second. Just talking about Marinette in the past tense was really jarring to his psyche. “Anyway, for the past 9 years or so Marinette has been the Guardian of the box, but when she was captured she felt like she had no choice to but to give up the box. I wasn’t there so I don’t know exactly why she did it but she did, and because of that she lost her memories of everyone. She doesn’t remember people at all, though her parents aren’t in town right now so who knows about them.” Adrien rubbed his cold hands together. “I just… felt like I had no one to talk to about her so I came here. If one person will listen, it’s my mother.” 

Nathaniel was quiet for a long moment, processing all the information he’d been given. “Wow that’s… a lot to take in.” His words were soft and tentative, like he was choosing each one with care. “It must be hard, losing a partner in both senses of the word.” 

Adrien sighed, tugging on his hair. “Yeah, it really is. Worst part is that her kwami says I can’t tell her. It’s the rules of the box, I think. At the least that is what Wayzz said before.”    
  
Nath gained a new look of confusion, causing Adrien to pause. “Right, Kwamis. Kwamis are small ancient beings that live inside the Miraculous. Each one has a name, usually with a double letter in there somewhere. Mine is Plagg.” He stated, reaching a hand into his pocket. Carefully Adrien tugged out the small black creature, causing Nathaniel to lean in close.

“He has tiny ears?” Nathaniel mused, staring at the half asleep kwami. 

Plagg, unhappy to be disturbed, gave a soft groan, rubbing his eyes. “Adrien, if you don’t have cheese then don’t wake me up.” He complained, slowly opening his big green eyes. As Plagg began to register the large face in front of him he frowned. “How did this one happen?” He asked, his tone flat and unamused. 

“Let’s just say what happened yesterday hasn’t led to my finest moments.” Adrien didn’t like admitting it but it was way easier to just show Plagg off to Nathaniel than try and worm his way out of this situation. “Plagg, meet Nathaniel. Nathaniel, this is Plagg. With two g’s.”

Nathaniel extended his index finger for a shake. Plagg stared at it, unsure of what to do, before taking the finger in both nubs and shaking it lightly. “It’s nice to meet you. I presume our secret is safe with him?” Plagg questioned.

Adrien nodded. “If there’s one thing Nathaniel is, it’s loyal.” Nathaniel flushed a little at the blond’s words, uncertain where Adrien’s trust had come from. Adrien pondered for a moment. “Well, since he knows our secret, maybe he could be a new wielder? We could really use a new hand with Marinette… you know.”   
  
Plagg sighed. “You can’t exactly ask Marinette this time though. You’ll need to talk to Luka. You need to give him the actual box first though.” 

Adrien groaned. He had been avoiding going in Marinette’s sewing room for exactly that reason. Her sewing bust contained the Miracle Box. The tradition of hiding the sacred box had been slightly modified. After all, it didn’t make sense for Marinette to have a record player, but a dressing bust was perfectly reasonable, and still usable. “We will give him the box, just not now.” He mumbled. Adrien was fine dealing with Luka as part of the team, but thinking about his girlfriend’s ex boyfriend having the Miracle Box made his blood boil.

Nathaniel looked slightly confused. “Well I have no idea why you would want to give me one, it’s not necessary. I’ve never been much of a fighter anyway.” He shrugged. “But it’s up to you, er, Viperon. Anyway, you still want to talk about it?” Nathaniel asked.

  
Adrien grew quiet. “What is there to talk about? Marinette doesn’t remember me. She’s the one person who matters the most, and she doesn’t even remember my name.” He sighed. 

Nathaniel put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder. “I don’t know much about this ‘Miracle Box’ and it’s memory loss properties, but I am sure she will remember you given time.” He said softly. “Even if she doesn’t you are a great guy. I have no doubt she will fall in love with you again.”

“You really think so?” Adrien wasn’t so sure about that fact. Nathaniel’s light laughter made his gut churn.

“Trust me, we dated for a while. She will come to love you one way or another.”   
  
That sentence made Adrien’s eyebrow shoot towards his hairline. He had been aware of Luka as her partner, and Marinette had briefly mentioned dating a second person but he’d never expected it to be Nathaniel.

“You two dated?”

“It didn’t last long, considering she was in love with you and I was in love with someone else.”

Adrien raised an eyebrow. As far as he knew Nathaniel wasn’t one to openly really talk about his dating life. He respected that, but the curiosity of the black cat drew him in every time.

  
“Did things work out with them?” 

  
Nath smiled softly. “Yeah, it did somehow. I actually came with them today. We were visiting my aunt. She passed not super long ago.”   
  
“I’m sorry about that. It’s never easy losing someone, even if they aren’t parents.” 

“Yeah. She was… really important to me. She was the one who encouraged me to stop hiding behind what I thought my parents would want, what I thought everyone would want, and pursue my dreams. She also reminded me how short life is… that we can’t take what we have for granted.”

“She sounds lovely.” Adrien wished his family was like that, but even his aunts and uncles felt stuffy, just like his father. “I wish I could have met her.”    
  
Nathaniel smiled. “That’s not the point. You just need to trust in yourself. Trust in her. Sure, right now things are bad, but you have to look on the bright side. You can give her her firsts all over again. First date, first kiss, first… well you know.”    
  
Adrien blushed. Now was not the time to think about such intimate things. Still, Nathaniel talking to him made him feel a bit better. It wasn’t enough to completely squash all the insecurities he had but it was enough to get him by for the next few days.

“Oh, there they are now.” Nathaniel pointed out, waving to a person that was just down the hill. Adrien narrowed his eyes, having a bit of a hard time due to the distance but not hard enough to miss that the face was familiar. His brow shot back up towards his hairline.   
  
“Is that Marc?”   
  
“Yeah.” Nathaniel smiled and gave a small wave, tucking his hair behind his ear. Love was written all over his face, even if he didn’t know it. “It’s a long story.” He dismissed.

Adrien smiled. The fact was surprising at first but overall they suited each other. “You should probably go. Maybe we can all catch up over coffee sometime?”   
  
“That would be lovely.” Nathaniel pulled out a phone from his pocket. The two boys quietly exchanged numbers, before Nathaniel gave a quiet goodbye. The redhead looked almost giddy as he jogged down the hill. He gave a soft kiss to Marc’s cheek before the two of them went wandering on his way.

“Well he’s certainly changed.” Plaggs voice was muffled by his pocket as the small creature poked his head out. Adrien gave a soft smile. “Yeah, he has. For the better.” Adrien smiled, standing from the bench. “Come on Plagg, let’s go see Marinette.”


End file.
